Lovely now toget her, his lady and his Rowers
Lighten for ever the Emperor 's eye,
As he li stens to the sighing of the far spring wind
Where she leans on a railing in the Aloe Pavilion.
Original Poem:
「清平调 · 其三」
李白
名花倾国两相欢，常得君王带笑看。
解释春风无限恨，沈香亭北倚阑干。
Interpretation:
This poem is about Tang Xuanzong’s infinite love for Yang Guifei.
Li Bai no longer borrows metaphors, legends, myths and other techniques, but puts his pen straight to the point that peony is a flower of national colour and fragrance, and Yang Guifei is a beautiful woman, if there is no care and grace from the king, where would the flowers and plants, and the flowers and faces, be so beautiful and decent? The word “spring breeze” has always been used as a synonym for the king, so this is a pun. It is said that even if the king has more troubles in his heart, as long as he comes to the peony garden by the Sinkiang Pavilion with the Concubine, they will be dissolved without a trace.
The artistic technique used in this poem is mainly simile, comparing the harmony and beauty of peony and spring breeze to the love between Yang Guifei and Tang Xuanzong, which is very original.
Poem translator:
Kiang Kanghu
About the poet:
Li Bai (李白), 701 ~ 762 A.D., whose ancestral home was in Gansu, was preceded by Li Guang, a general of the Han Dynasty. Tang poetry is one of the brightest constellations in the history of Chinese literature, and one of the brightest stars is Li Bai.
